Magistrate
Omar Cham of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court yesterday discharged Naffie Barry
along with sixteen other accused persons, who were charged with negligence of
official duty and abuse of office.
They
earlier denied the allegations.
The
other accused persons who were discharged are Kaiding Sambou, Bernard Mendy,
Cherno Njie, Yira Janneh, Abdoulie T.B. Jarra, Miss Aminata Semega Janneh, Fafa
Sanyang, Miss Fatoumata Bah, Momodou Saidy Leigh, Miss Aja Fatou Gaye, Habib
T.B. Jarra, Lamin Ceesay, Famara Darboe, Sanna Gassama and Rohiyatou Kah.
The
decision of the magistrate followed the application made by the police
prosecutor, ASP Manga, to discharge them, adding that he was also applying for
dropping the charges against the accused under section 169 (1) of the CPC.
Naffie
Barry and those who were discharged were earlier jointly charged along with
eleven other government officials, totaling twenty-eight.
When
the case was called, ASP Manga rose and told the court that he was representing
the IGP along with First Class Fatoumata Jallow.
He
informed the court that Fafa Sanyang, an accused, was at the high court, and
Abdoulie T.B. Jarra had not been going to court.
Lawyer
Surahateh Janneh, Omar Njie, Abdoulie Sissoho (who held brief for Hawa
Sisay-Sabally), Combeh Gaye, A. Fatty (who held brief for Lamin Darboe) and
Patrick Gomez announced their representation for the accused persons.
ASP
Manga craved the court’s indulgence to allow them to go back to their office to
look into why Abdoulie T.B. Jarra had not been going to court.
When
the prosecutor applied to the court for the seventeen accused persons to be
discharged, the defence counsel did not raise any objection.
However,
they applied to the court for all the title deeds and travel documents to be
given back to the accused persons who were discharged, which they deposited
when they were granted bail.
Magistrate
Cham granted the application, and ordered that the said documents be
surrendered to those who were discharged.
Prosecutor
Manga then made an application for an adjournment to file a new charge, adding
that they were going to amend the charge which also affects those who were not
in court.
He
urged the court to allow them a week to do so and come back to proceed with the
case.
Omar
Njie did not object to the application.
The
case was adjourned until 7 September 2016.
